Trolley-wheel.



J. KRESS.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZO, 1911.

Patented June 24, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

JOHN KRESS, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

TROLLEY-WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JoHN Knnss, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in New Rochelle, in the county of \Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-lNheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved trolleywheels for electric railways, and more specifically to the improvement of the harp portion of the same so that the trolley-wheel follows freely the conducting wire without jumping off and yields to the relative position of the wire so as to prevent the abrasion of the conducting wire and the flanges of the trolley-wheel, and so as to facilitate movement of the Wheel over the clips, switches and other projecting portions on the wire; and for this purpose the invention consists of a trolley-wheel, the harp of which is connected by a knuckle-joint with a sleeve-shaped socket attached to the upper end of the trolley-pole and acted upon below the pivot of the knucklejoint by a springpressed block which is located in the'upper end of the socket and which permits the movement of the trolley-wheel and its harp within certain limits to one side or the other of the longitudinal axis of the trolley-pole so as to cling to the conducting wire and follow the position of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of my improved trolley-wheel, shown as applied to the conducting wire, Fig. 2 represents an end-elevation of the trolley-wheel, harp and socket, drawn on a larger scale, Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of Fig. 2, and Fig. t is a vertical transverse section on line 4, 4., Fig. 3, the dotted lines showing the positions of the trolley-wheel when pressed to one side or the other by the conducting wire.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, (t represents a trolley-wheel of the usual shape, and b the harp of the same. The shaft 8 of the trolleywheel is supported in suitable bearings in the upper portion of the harp b and retained therein by spring-pins c which pass through the shaft and bearings of the same. Flat springs (Z are attached at their lower ends to the inner surface of the harp at opposite points of the same while their upper Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 20, 1911.

Patented June 24, 1913.

Serial No. 628,391.

perforated ends are passed around the shaft 3 and pressed on the side-faces of the trolleywheel so as to hold the same yieldingly on the shaft. The lower end or shank of the harp b is connected by a knuckle-joint with the upper end of a sleeve-shaped socket e, which is firmly riveted at its lower end to the upper end of the trolley-pole f, the rivet f passing through the sleeve and pole, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4c. The middle member b of the knuckle-joint at the lower end of the shank b of the harp b is extended below the semi-circular side-members b which seat in semi-circular parts of the socket e and is acted upon by a springpressed block or plunger 9 which is cylindrical and which is located in the upper end of the sleeve-shaped socket e and pressed in upward direction against the lower end of the extended portion by a strong helical spring 9 which is interposed below the end of the block 9 and the upper end of the trolley-pole f, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The block is of less width than that of the member 6 The spring-pressed block 9 is smaller than the member 6 and has its upper face flat to enable the corners of the member 6 to ride thereon, and serves to hold the lower end of the harp and to return the same into position in line with the longitudinal axis of the trolley-pole f whenever the trolley-wheel has been moved to one side or the other, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The usual scope of lateral motion of the trolley-wheel is about threequarters of an inch to either side, that is to say, until the corner of the extended member 32 of the knuckle-joint abuts against the upper edge of the block 9, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, while it is possible to have a lateral movement limited only by the projections or abutments 6 of the harp meeting the projections or abutments b of the socket e. In the latter case the corner of the member 19 travels a slight distance on the upper face of the block 9, the block all the time pressing against the member 5 The farther the block is depressed, the greater is the depression of the spring and the force residing in the same to return the member 12 to its normal position. Hence, the farther the corner of the member Z2 is moved inwardly along the upper surface of the block 9, the greater and easier will be the tendency of the harp to return to its normal position. This is true within certain limits and to keep the action within these limits, the lugs Zr and U are provided. The play of the trolley-wheel to either side of its axis and the spring-actuation of the same is sutlicient, in connection with the yielding motion of the spring-actuated trolley-pole to keep the trolley-wheel always in position on the conducting wire without jumping the same when passing over curves, clips or switches and serves to cause the wheel to hug the conducting wire at the center of the circumferential groove of the.

wheel without abrading the wire or forming grooves at the inner faces of the flanges of the trolley-wheel.

The connection of the trolley-wheel with the operating rope leading to the car may be made any suitable manner, preferably by a ring 9 to which the rope r is attached, which ring is guided in projections r on the exterior part of the sleeve or in a grooved collar attached to the same, or in any other suitable manner. A hole 0 is located in the lower end of the sleeve-shaped socket near the end of the pole for conducting ott' any rain water that enters into the socket below the knuckle-joint.

By making the block of less width than the knuckle 7/ wear of the block on the knuckle is distributed over the surfaces of the knuckle extending at each side of the block, whereby the life of the device is prolonged. The uniform diameter of the block causes the depression strains received at its upper end to be resisted by bearing surfaces at its sides which are in alineinent with those points, namely the upper edges of the block, where such strains are received. Wear of the block in its bearing is thus reduced and ease and accuracy of operation is secured, and strain upon the spring is reduced. Seats and angles for holding dust, snow, ice and water are avoided, whereby the clogging etlect of these accumulations is overcome and reliable action of the device is secured under all. conditions of weather.

The construction described increases the effectiveness of the trolley-wheel and the reliable contact of the same with the conducting wire in all positions of the latter whether supported directly above the electric car or to a considerable extent sidewise of the same, while the improved construction, namely, the addition of the knucklejoint sleeve-shaped socket and springpressed block adds but little to the cost of the trolley-wheel.

The invention therefore consists of the combination of the member 6 on the harp o acted upon by the springpressed block g so as to return the laterally moving harp to its normal position and arranging abutments to limit the lateral movement of the harp.

An embodiment of the invention has been described, but changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the in- Vention.

I claim:

In a trolley-wheel, the combination of a harp for supporting the trolley-wheel, a knuckle-joint at the lower end of said harp composed of semicircular side-portions and. a central angular portion extending below the circumference of the semicircular portions, a socket shaped portion at the other end of the pole provided with semicircular portions pivoted to the lmuckle-portions of the harp, a spring-actuated. block located in the socket-ptn'tion, and shoulders at adjacent ends of the harp and socket-portion for an resting the lateral motion of the trolleywheel.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, it have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN KRESS.

lV i tnesses PAUL GonrnL, JOHN Iiionraon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

